WESTFIELD, Ind. (July 15, 2015) - The 2014-15 National Premier Leagues (NPL) season came down to an exciting finish at the NPL Finals, July 9-13 at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. A dozen teams won national championships, as 10 different clubs from eight states around the country earned their place in the history books.

The 2015 NPL Finals featured 154 teams from U-13 through U-18 boys and girls age groups representing all 19 NPLs. Champions excelled in the challenging environment that included group states, semifinals and finals.

“This year’s NPL Finals was a resounding success, and all participating teams should be proud of their performances this season,” NPL General Manager Leo Garcia said. “To win an NPL national championship, you have to be on your game all season long. The NPL Finals is the culmination of year-long efforts, and once a team qualifies to this championship event, the challenge only becomes more difficult.”

NEFC Elite (New England Premier League) brought an NPL Finals-record six teams to the event, and five of those advanced to the championship round. Of that handful, three brought home national championships.

By winning the U-17 girls bracket, NJ Stallions Dynamite (Eastern Development Program – NPL Division) repeated as national champions, as it clinched the U-16 title last year. NEFC Elite was another repeat champion, as it won the U-14 girls championship in the 2014 NPL Finals.

Massapequa SC (NPL Crossover Cup) followed up a U-15 girls division runner-up performance during the 2013 NPL Champions Cup - later renamed NPL Finals - with another finalist showing this year in the U-17 girls bracket.

FC Dallas (Texas Pre-Academy League), which won the U-14 boys division in the inaugural NPL Champions Cup – later renamed NPL Finals – returned to the winners’ stage at the 2015 NPL Finals with a U-15 boys trophy.

Real Colorado (Mountain Developmental League), winners of last year's U-14 boys bracket, earned a chance at a back-to-back championship, but came up just short in their bid against Santa Clara Sporting FC (NorCal NPL).

The U-13 boys New York Red Bulls team – representatives of the Northeast Pre-Academy League – powered through the tournament, only conceding two goals in five games, including three shutouts in their final games. “It’s always good when you get to travel around and experience playing against teams outside your region and area,” Kobie Johnson, New York Red Bulls U-13 boys head coach, said. “These were top-quality teams from around the country, and at the youth level, that’s always important for all the players’ development.”

Grand Park will continue to play host to US Club Soccer’s national championship competitions later this week when the National Cup XIV Finals arrives in Westfield.

ABOUT US CLUB SOCCER:

A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation, US Club Soccer is an organization committed to the development and support of soccer clubs in the United States.

US Club Soccer offers youth and adult registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms at the recreational and competitive levels, as well as a variety of other programming, including the Olympic Development Program-sanctioned id2 Program and Player Development Programs.

Through US Club Soccer, all of a club’s programs – recreational, competitive and adult – are able to be united under one organizational umbrella, creating a “members for life” culture within each club. US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike.